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Dems Cruz and Quattlebaum to primary Benedetto
Al Quattlebaum is running for the 82nd Assembly District.
Photo courtesy Al Quattlebaum
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, D BTR EC. 10-16, 2021 15
BY JASON COHEN
Michael Benedetto has
been a state Assemblyman
in the northeast Bronx for
nearly two decades, and has
never had a competitive candidate
run against him.
But in 2022, Community
Board 10 District Manager
Matthew Cruz and local activist
Al Quattlebaum, both
Democrats, are throwing
their hats in the ring with
hopes to dethrone the longtime
incumbent.
The 74-year-old Benedetto,
who has represented
the 82nd Assembly District
since 2004, was primaried
in 2012 and 2020 by Egidio
Sementelli, and handily defeated
him. The district
covers Co-op City, Throggs
Neck, Westchester Square,
City Island, Country Club
and Pelham Bay.
Both candidates told the
Bronx Times it is time for a
change.
Matthew Cruz
While Cruz is just 29, he
says he’s ready to take on the
seasoned politician.
“I think my age is a benefi
t,” he said. “If it was an issue,
I don’t think I would be
district manager. My pedigree
is, I get results.”
Cruz, of Pelham Bay, was
born and raised in Harlem
public housing and moved to
the Bronx at 16. His mother
Noemi and late father Miguel
were city employees and instilled
a work ethic in him,
so he knew from a young age
he wanted to make an impact
and help his community.
The go-getter worked
for the NYC Department of
Buildings, was the budget
director for Councilman
Jimmy Vacca and became
district manager at 25.
“I’ve always been curious
about the community board
process,” he said.
Over the past four years
as district manager, Cruz
has noticed that the communities
are lacking resources.
Edgewater Park needs a new
fi rehouse, City Island needs
Community Board 10 District Manager Matthew Cruz is running for the
82nd Assembly seat. Photo courtesy Matthew Cruz
to be more climate-resilient,
renovations must be done at
the Throggs Neck Houses
and education must improve
overall.
While Cruz has never run
for offi ce, he hopes to follow
in the footsteps of recently
elected progressive leaders,
like Councilwoman-elect
Marjorie Velazquez and New
York State Sen. Alessandra
Biaggi.
“This is something I’ve
been invested in for a long
time,” Cruz said. “I’m going
to take the fi ght to Albany
and this is where I want to be
for the rest of my life.”
Al Quattlebaum
Quattlebaum, 52, is an
associate minister of Coop
City Baptist Church, the
owner of Big Al’s Soul and
Catering, the president of
Co-op City’s People First
Democratic Club and a community
activist.
Born and raised in Mott
Haven, he said he witnessed
violence, drug dealing and
more. After having rough
teen years, Quattlebaum
served in the military and
lived in California for a decade.
But in 1999, he returned
to the Boogie Down
and settled in Co-op City.
“I had to re-fall in love
again with New York City,”
he said.
Soon, he discovered his
love for cooking, obtained a
degree from the New York
Culinary Academy and
launched his catering company,
which was active until
the pandemic.
In 2010, he took a stab at
politics when he ran unsuccessfully
for the City Council
District 12 seat against
Larry Seabrook. After that,
he decided to focus on his
family, catering and community.
He also launched a
nonprofi t called See us Rise
Above.
In 2018, his father died
and Quattlebaum decided he
wanted to do more. He fi gured
he would start a soup
kitchen, but then the pandemic
came.
Quattlebaum teamed up
with elected offi cials like
Councilman Kevin Riley
and State Sen. Jamaal Bailey
to give away tons of food
over the past year. Quattlebaum
told the Bronx Times
he never saw Benedetto help
with the pandemic giveaway
efforts. Knowing that many
children lacked internet access
or devices, he said he
was shocked the assemblyman
didn’t do more to help.
“I’m like, that’s the Education
Chair, so all of this
is happening on his watch,”
Quattlebaum said.
From there, he knew it
was time for a change. Quattlebaum
wants to improve
education and provide better
funding for the police.
“It’s time for somebody
that wants to bring real
change to our district, not
the status quo,” he said.
“I will work for the party,
but I’m not a sell-out to the
party.”
Quattlebaum also said
Benedetto was barely in his
Co-op City offi ce until recently.
The assemblyman, however,
told the Bronx Times
that he helped set up the fi rst
pop-up vaccination site in
Co-op City and the COVID-19
testing site in Bay Plaza, and
gave away tons of food, hand
sanitizer and masks during
the past year and a half.
Also, he wasn’t at his Co-op
City offi ce because the building
was closed due to the
pandemic.
“It’s a shame that Mr.
Quattlebaum doesn’t know
the full depth of what I was
doing during the course of
the whole COVID period,”
Benedetto said. “He hasn’t
been a factor on the issues
in the community for such a
long time that I’m really not
surprised that he’s so uninformed.”
Members of the New
York State Assembly make
$110,000 annually plus per
diem, and their terms last
two years. The primary is
scheduled for June 28, 2022.
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